Shoe-cleaning machine.



L. ELEKES.

SHOE CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28, 1914,

Patented. Feb. 16, 1915.

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SHOE CLEANING MACHINE.

APYLIOATION TILED APILZB, 1914.

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LOUIS ELEKES, OF HEATHERMAN, WEST VIRGINIA.

SHOE-CLEANING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application filed April 28. 1914. Serial No. 834,978.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS ELEKns, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Heather-man, in the county of Kanawha and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe- Cleaning Machines. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to nev and useful. improvements in shoe cleaning machines.

The primary object of this invention is to provide. a machine adapted for the reception of a boot or shoe for the purpose of completely cleaning the entire exterior surface thereof in an exceedingly short time.

A further object is to provide hand driven brushes operable by the wearer of a shoe for the purpose of completely cleaning the shoe when positioned between the said brushes, a bottom scraper as well as a top brush being also contemplated.

A still further object is to provide a foot stand in the form of shiftable sole scrapers and brushes and having revoluble'cleaning brushes positioned thereabove for contacting movement with a shoe while propelled by an operating means actuated by the wearer of the shoe.

With these general objects in View and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like designating characters refer to corresponding parts througlumt the several views:-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device partially broken away with a shoe illustrated as positioned therein. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken upon line 11-11 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the sole' cleaning means detached. Fig. 4 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view of the device with the shoe poistioned therein. Fig. 5 is a top plan view thereof.

Referring more in detail to the drawings. it will be noted that the same primarily consists of two brushes 10 and 11 mounted upon shafts 12 and 13 respectively and adapted to be revolved by the turning of said shafts.

The brushes are mounted upon a base 14: by

having the outer ends of said shafts journaled in a bracket 15 while the inner end of the shaft 12 is journaled in a bracket 16 and the inner end of shaft 13 is journaled in a similar rear bracket 1'4.

A standard 18 mounted upon the base 14: is provided with a turn wheel 19 having an axle 20 journaled upon the top of said standard whilea sprocket wheel 21 carried by said axle mounts the sprocket chain 2'2. adapted for running over a smaller sprocket wheel 23 positioned therebeneath upon at lower axle 2+1- also journaled in the said standard 18. A pinion carried by tdie lower axle 24 at the inner end thereof is in constant mesh with a similar pinion 26 secured to the shaft 13 while an idler 27 is mounted upon a stub shaft 28 of the bracket 15 and between gears 29 and 30 carried respectively by the shafts 13 and 12.

r A foot block 31 longitudinally positioned upon the base let is provided with'a dove tail slot for slidably receiving a plate 35 therein, which plate is adj ustably retained by set screws 34. The upper surface ,of said plate 33 is provided with a plurality of metal scrapers 35, the rearward one 36 of which is of greater height than the others and is spaced from the adjacent end of the plate 83 while between said scrapers are positioned upright bristles 37.

From the above detailed description, the

complete operation of the device is believed to be apparent, it being noted that the shoe it is adapted to bepositioned upon the scrapers and upright bristles of the plate 5:58 and between the side brushes 10 and 11. The sole of the shoe is readily cleancd'by scraping the same upon said support and when at rest the shoe heel 45 is positioned upon the rear surface 46 of the plate 33. The wearer of the shoe may then turn the wheel 19 by means of the handle 47 project mg therefrom and thus revolve the side brushes 10 and 11 in wiping contact witln the shoe 44:, it being evidentthat the direction of movement of said brushes may be determined by the direction in which wheel 19 is revolved.

\Vhile the forms of the invention herein shown and described are what are believed to-be preferable embodiments thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, proporthe tion and details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claim.

What 1 claim as new is In a shoe cleaning machine, the combination with a pair of parallel approximately spool-shaped polishing members, of a longitudinally adjustable foot block, and means for holding the foot block in fixed adjust- 10 ment relative to the polishing members,

whereby to cause the curved surfaces of the polishing members properly to contact with the sides and top of a shoe.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS ELEKES.

Witnesses STEVE SEBoK, PAUL SEBoK. 

